Maelstrom
by Hresvelgr
Summary: Takes place between the first and second movies. Jack Sparrow races with a scheming pirate for a lost treasure hoard. But when it turns out to be a trap for both of them, can Jack escape from two deadly enemies? Warning: DMC spoilers.
1. The Fool's Bane

Disclaimer: I do not own Pirates of the Caribbean in any way. But I do own the original characters such as Cora Harper, Erik Fox, and his crew.

__

Maelstrom

Summary: Takes place between Dead Man's Chest and Curse of the Black Pearl. A scheming pirate named Erik Fox persuades Captain Jack Sparrow to help him find a lost treasure belonging to a long-dead pirate captain. But neither plan on sharing, and the treasure has secrets of its own. Please R&R! Please excuse the amount of new OC's into the story. And forgive the spelling because some people have odd accents.

-----------------------------------------------------

Chapter One: Off the coast of Georgia

A large barque in rather good condition plowed through the gray waves. An English flag flew from a mast. A few sailors walked the main deck. The name Herald was carved neatly on the stern of the ship. Inside the Captain's quarters, Captain Bull, the rest of the officers, and a few passengers on board the ship were having a fine breakfast while the crew had to settle for gruel or hard biscuits.

"So Jerry," the captain was saying, "the man says: _ahem _'I said no mustard!'" Most of them burst out laughing drunkenly, some spitting out gobs of food. Cora Harper, a young woman with auburn hair, immediately regretted coming aboard this privateer's ship. But she reassured herself that she was lucky enough to be let on any vessel. Her green eyes stared at the tasty looking bacon and eggs on her plate. It was hard to refrain from gorging into it.

As Cora was about to dig in, some sailor burst into the cabin. His eyes were wide. "Cap'n, cap'n! Luke says 'e sees a ship! Off to bow!" The captain threw down his silverware and stormed out, everyone else followed him. With a groan, she too put down the fork in her hand. She hadn't eaten since breakfast yesterday. The cold, morning air greeted them harshly as they started shivering all at once. She took a glance at the note she hid within her sleeve. It was still safe. She hoped to get to Nassau quickly.

Sure enough, not to far ahead a sleek frigate was calmly sailing with their backs to the Herald. Its hull was red with some black lining. A golden Okinawan-style lion decorated the prow in place of the usual maiden/mermaid. A French flag flew from the mast. The frigate had an obvious advantage in speed, and it was getting away. Cora nervously asked Captain Bull, "Are we at war with the French?"

He shrugged. "At the moment? I have no idea. These days you can never really tell. I don't think we are." He pulled out a spyglass and inspected the French ship. The name Fool's Bane was scrawled on the stern below the cabin. There was a small amount of people on deck, and none were dressed in French naval uniforms. In fact they all had dirty and disheveled clothing and very little weaponry showing, which Bull considered odd. It seemed like a bunch of French merchants. He weighed his options.

"Okay gents! It's a bunch of Frenchmen; let's show them our own… 'special' brand of hospitality, lads!" The privateers cheered and whooped. The Herald speeded up by unfurling all their sails. "No need to get ready the guns, lads, just a bunch of unarmed Frenchies!" While some more crewmen laughed, he told Cora, "No worries, we'll tell the authorities this was just a 'little' misunderstanding." As it pulled closer, less than thirty yards away and closing, she got a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach. She dismissed as hunger. Breakfast was still waiting. Captain Bull fired a warning shot from their bow cannon.

He called out to the frigate's crew, "Surrender! Heave to or we'll have to blow ye out of the water! Did ye hear me? Give it up!" Now Cora was clenching her fists. She meant to get to Nassau as soon as possible, not to be interrupted by the privateers' greed. She had an urge to speak with the man named "M. Shales" that her note mentioned. She noticed something odd about the frigate's crew as they pulled along side them; some of them were actually grinning mischievously. The Herald's crew were calmly pacing the decks or taunting those aboard the Fool's Bane. For the last time, Bull said, "Surrender! Or you'll all die!" And it was then they all heard a man on the frigate yelling, "Let fly!"

The other ship pulled down their French colors and raised a black flag bearing the dreaded skull and crossbones. An intense feeling of fear and helplessness fell over the crew, freezing them wherever they stood. They had very little combat experience, and now pirates had caught them by surprise. Only a few seconds after they raised the flag, the vicious-looking pirates had pulled out all their bombs, guns, cutlery, and cannons as the privateers started to head for cover at the last moment. Captain Bull just stood there gaping when the pirate captain gave the command to fire.

Cora ducked just in time. A thunderous volley of cannons, muskets and pistols nearly deafened Cora. Right in front of her, several shots went through the captain's chest, and one through his head, as a spray of blood issued forth. Several other crewmen were killed before they had a chance to fight. As Bull's body fell she quickly headed below the bloodstained decks, tripping over another bloody corpse. And yet another man fell dead right in front of her, his lifeless eyes staring into her own as blood poured from the gunshot wound in his neck. She finally crawled down the hatch right before two bombs exploded on the main deck. The pirates threw grappling hooks and boarded the Herald.

Cora grabbed a loaded musket on the gun rack right next to her. Crewmen scurried back and forth in complete panic. Instead of rushing to battle like a foolish sailor or pirate, she hid in the Captain's Cabin where the pirates would inevitably come. Her knees buckled and she almost collapsed from nausea after witnessing that bloody spectacle. Through the closet door, she could see the gruesome battle settling down as the crew of the privateer ship surrendered at last. A broad-shouldered man wearing a dark coat paced the deck, brandishing an axe and pistol. "I told y'all to surrender. Now yer all prisoners of Erik Fox and the Maelstrom!" The other pirates cheered and the pirate turned around and the first thing she noticed was his chocolate-brown eyes and crazy grin.

She accidentally bumped the musket against the closet door. The pirate, Erik Fox she assumed, snapped his head toward her direction and gazed into the deceased captain's room. "I heard you. Get out you little rat!" Cora's heart stopped for a second until a rat crawled out from behind the closet and scurried toward the brown-skinned pirate. He picked it up and hoisted it onto his shoulder, feeding it some cheese he had in his coat. She gave an audible sigh. "What the?" Erik rushed toward the closet and swung open the door. Before she could point the musket at his face he grabbed it and raised his axe.

"Not so fast!" He pried it from her grip. "Now, sit with the other prisoners… Wait a second! What's woman doing aboard a privateering vessel, eh? Suspicious wouldn't you think, a female pirate…" She nodded nervously. "I do have some experience in these matters. So what are you doing here, looking for a certain pirate named Jack Sparrow, perhaps, Miss Sue?"

"Jack who? And my name's not Sue, it's Cora, Cora Harper."

"Oh, sorry. Hmm… did pirates kill yer father and you're now seeking vengeance? That story seems to be almost as popular." Cora shook her head with a look of puzzlement all over her face. "Oh, come on! You must have some kind of trinket or bauble on you! A locket? Or maybe a note of some kind?"

"Oh yes! I mean, no!"

"Aha! Give it up!" Seeing as he had a pistol and an axe, she handed him the crudely written note that was stuffed up her sleeve. As Erik was reading it very slowly, she quietly reached for the musket on the floor. Before she could react, he noticed, kicked the musket away, and grabbed her by the shoulders. Cora, while struggling in his grasp, elbowed him in the stomach and tried to grab the musket again. When a pair of pirates saw the struggle, she quickly locked the door and pointed the gun at Erik.

"Well it looks like I'm done for, don't it?" The pirate asked. She nodded and pulled the trigger. But just in time, Erik knocked the musket upwards so it shattered the cabin windows. "You tried to shoot me!"

"So. You did kill several people on board this ship."

"Oh yeah…" While he was distracted Cora rammed the gun's butt-stock into his stomach, smacked him across the face with it, and then shoved him out the open window, hearing a splash one or two seconds later. She rushed over to watch both the unconscious man and the note slowly sinking into the depths of the Caribbean. "Damn, I missed." Fortunately for herself, she had memorized the note. A pair of pirates rushed over too and one shouted, "Erik!" The other, an African man, asked Cora, "Wow. Looks like you can hold your own in a fight. Want to join us, as a crew- err… crewwoman of the Maelstrom?"

"Sure. Hey, I got a good idea of where some treasure could be… Let's go to Nassau."

"Alright ma'am!"

__

-----------------------------------------

A British soldier patrolled a lonely pier in Savannah, Georgia. He had no idea why his superiors made him guard this useless dock, at this late hour too. He never got a good night's sleep these days. Maybe he shouldn't have called his commander a pompous fool. And the humid air was attracting many mosquitoes. As he slapped on his cheek, he thought he heard something move.

He quickly turned around. Nothing. No more than just a few barrels and crates that had been there for the past three hours. After he turned around again, he saw a slight movement in the corner of his eye. But it was nothing. He took a second glance at one of the barrels. He swore it must have moved an inch or two.

"Just my imagination," he told himself. "Don't let the cold to get to your head." He sighed and continued his watch. Just two more hours remained in his shift. He looked out at the harbor and saw only two ships. And he thought he saw the silhouette of another, but he dismissed it again as his own imagination.

Behind the red-coated guard, Jack Sparrow gave a quiet sigh of relief. He was getting even more tired of sitting in a small, cramped barrel. After ten seconds, he lifted it up a bit and starting tiptoeing to the edge of the pier again, ever peering through the small eyehole. He moved about five feet before the guard started to turn around.

"Hmm… is somebody there? Must be my imagination, again. Or maybe rats? I hate rats…" He turned around yet again and started shuddering. Jack proceeded to walk at a faster rate. The end of the pier was in sight! The sleepy soldier suddenly heard the boards creaking. He glanced behind and saw naught but a barrel walking away. He glanced again and realized what was wrong with that. A pair of brown boots was scurrying under the wooden barrel.

"Hey, you!"

"Oh, bugger!" Now Jack started sprinting with the barrel still covering most of him. The soldier lowered his rifle and got ready to skewer him with his bayonet if need be. But before he could, Jack rolled off into the bay. The soldier got ready to shoot Jack as he floated away. He aimed, but a black ship came into view with cannons aimed directly at him. He immediately lowered the rifle and cowered away.

"This will always be the day you remember as… Ow!" The barrel had collided with the Black Pearl. "You could've warned me!" Gibbs and the rest pulled him onto the deck. "Sorry, sir." He explained, "We didn't want to interrupt ye." Jack crawled out of the barrel and took a breath of fresh air.

"Next time we try to repair at a dock that's _not_ crawling with soldiers." He loudly declared. He headed for the helm and thought of their next destination. "How 'bout Nassau?" Marty the Dwarf suggested. Everyone stared at him. "What? I was just makin' a suggestion."

Jack grinned suddenly. "Aye, Nassau it is!" Sparrow headed over to his cabin and decided to take a nap before going ashore in the morning. After jumping into his bed and closing his eyes, Jack thought he heard a monkey screech. That brought memories of Barbossa and the curse.

He heard another screech. "How I hated that monkey," he muttered. After yet another screech, he opened his eyes and sure enough, Jack the Monkey was sitting on him. "Monkey!" It stole his hat and began jumping all over the cabin, knocking over papers and some trinkets. Jack the captain tried to chase after it, but ended up knocking even more stuff down. "Bloody monkey!"

Jack got a hold of his hat, but the monkey wouldn't let go. And the thing possessed demonic strength! So he swung the hat and the monkey flew out the door. It ran straight at Leech, an Indian pirate, and jumped onto his red turban, making him panic. "Don't worry, mate, I got 'im!" Captain Jack assured. Jack the Monkey gave him the nastiest glare he'd ever seen. He tried to snatch it but the monkey jumped away and caused him to tackle Leech. The monkey landed on Gibbs's back and made him run around reaching it until he ran straight into the mast. The monkey dodged through pirates' legs, and tripped a few. It started biting and gnawing on Sweepy's ankle until he kicked it away. While most of the crew was just staring or trying to get up, the monkey got in a fistfight with Marty. And it was winning. While the monkey had Marty on his back, Jack Sparrow smacked it overboard. "_That _was the most foul-tempered monkey I've ever seen."

"Help!" Everyone looked around. "I didn't say it." Marty explained. Anamaria, who had just woken up, rushed to the side of the ship to see someone in the water. "Man overboard!" They threw ropes out and the person held on as they pulled him onto the deck. The man put a dripping black tricorn hat back onto his head after taking a soaked note out of it. Jack asked the man, "Does this kind of thing happen to you often?"

"Yeah, it's my third time, thank you very much. Hey, you're pirates aren't you?" The crew of the Black Pearl nodded. "Good, where can I sign onto the crew?"

Jack, pleased at the prospect of getting more able-bodied people to man the guns and stuff, nodded his head towards Gibbs's direction. "What's your name, pirate?"

"Umm… Erik Fox, matey! So, where are we going?"

**__**

-----------------------------

I truly hope you enjoyed this! It is my first fic! Please Read and Review! And you shall find out what Erik and Cora's plans are next chapter! Until then, I bid you adieu.


	2. The Dead Frog

Captain Jack Sparrow85Thank you! I desperately needed a review. Do you think I need to make any adjustments though?

Disclaimer: Do you still think I own Pirates of the Caribbean? Because I don't, Disney does. However, I do own the original characters.

__

Maelstrom

-----------------------------

Chapter Two: Nassau Port, the Caribbean

When the Black Pearl reached Nassau in the morning, most of the crew was granted shore leave. But Cotton and another pirate remained on the ship for 'Monkey Patrol.' Erik Fox and Jack Sparrow went the largest tavern in town, a typical rowdy pirate hangout called: The Dead Frog. Jack missed the drunken, violent chaos of Tortuga, but Nassau was good enough for him. When he opened the door, he took in the strong aroma of sweat, rum, and gunpowder with a deep breath.

The bartender was a friendly enough man with one blind eye. When Jack and Erik walked towards him, one man leaned over and said quite drunkenly, "I knew a pirate once…" Jack shoved right by him. The bartender said, "Don't mind the crazies here."

"Crazies? That man just seemed drunk to me." Jack said before he was interrupted by a random guy who screamed at him, "Check and, mate!"

"Oh… _Those_ crazies. Hey, could ye get us a couple bottles of rum?" The bartender nodded after Jack had passed him two coins. When the two pirates sat down, Jack asked, "So, Mr. Fox, may I ask why exactly you joined my crew without a moment's hesitation? I mean, that does seem really suspicious, along with that note I saw on you."

Erik thought about for a few seconds. "Okay mate, I'll get to the point and be honest with you. I've got a good idea where a treasure is. And not just any treasure, I mean the treasure of…" He looked around and whispered, "… Jolly Roger." At that exact moment, everyone in the room stared at the two pirates. The creaky violin music had ended. One man clutched a crucifix. The bartender gulped audibly. And a baby started crying. Wondering what a baby was doing in a pirate tavern among other things, Erik asked, "What? Was it something I said?"

Everyone finally went back to their business after ten seconds of uncomfortable silence and the bartender muttered something about devils and death. "That was odd." Jack remarked and they went back their discussion. "So," Jack said, "you help me find this treasure and I'll give ye, ten-percent."

"Ten-percent? I want sixty, I discovered it."

"You mean ye stole it. I'll give you fifteen percent."

Erik gave him a poisonous glare. "Fifty!

"Twenty!"

"Forty-five!"

"Thirty! And really nice axe!

"Deal! And I want a useful tomahawk, not one of those cheap ones that have fancy handles."

"Aye." They shook hands on it and Jack asked, "Are you the same Erik Fox who accidentally killed his own captain once? And who fell asleep at the helm and crashed a ship into a cliff?" Erik cast two suspicious glances sideways. "No…" he muttered quietly. As Erik left the tavern, Jack snickered. "Sucker…" He chuckled and ordered two more drinks for himself.

When he went outside, he met Anamaria by the pier; impatiently waiting to hear what crazy plot Sparrow was planning now. He decided to tell her most of the truth. "We're gonna set sail tomorrow morning, to Tortuga."

"Tortuga?" Anamaria looked puzzled. "Isn't that No-Beard fellow still out to kill you?"

"The crew desperately wants plunder, and I know where to get some. The Treasure of Jolly Roger is still available."

Now she gaped in utter horror. "They're not _that _desperate! You're gonna get us all killed! Why can't we just head back to the Isla de Muerta?"

"Okay, just calm down. Firstly, what's the bloody deal with Jolly Roger? I haven't heard much 'bout him at all. It's just some bloody ghost story. A profitable ghost story that is. There's probably enough gold there for me to retire on. Oh, and secondly, from what I've heard, the Treasure is somewhere near de Muerta, maybe in it."

"Uhh… Did that Erik Fox guy tell you all this?"

"Yes, why?" She squinted at him. "Okay, sure he looks like a suspicious, completely dishonest, sneaky scoundrel 'n all, but that might just work out. Because you can always trust a dishonest person to be, well, dishonest. And chances are he's leading us into some trap that involves us dying horrible deaths. But he can still lead us to the treasure, where we will probably betray him somehow. Yeah, that sounds like a good plan."

"Sure, that _could_ work. As long as the stories aren't true that is, and let us hope they're not. And for some reason, Erik seems rather familiar. I remember now! He's the bastard who stole my ship and marooned me on a godforsaken island for the first time! When I get my hands on 'im…"

"Exactly how many boats have been stolen from you?"

------------------------------------

Erik Fox was in a cheerful mood as he went back to the tavern that night. He still couldn't get over the fact that Jack Sparrow had fallen for his trap, at least so far. Step one of his 'ingenious' plan was complete. While he was downing more rum and ale, he thought he saw the woman, Cora, from the last ship he attacked, the Herald. Confused, he wondered, "What's a 'proper' lady like her doing in a place like this? Am I hallucinating?" Suddenly, a barrel with a happy face started talking to him. "Yep."

He threw away the half-empty bottle of rum in his hand and started to read the note he stole from her. Instantly, he cursed himself for not learning how to read much English. The note said: _Dear Cora, I hope you are safe. Please don't go and get in trouble with anyone, and watch out for pirates_-

"What the?" He realized he had stolen two notes; this one was a letter from her father. He took the paper about the treasure and looked at it. The front listed very vague directions, such as the 'Turtle Island' to the south. On the back, it was simply a bunch of crude drawings, some of stick figures being killed, and 'M. Shales' signed it. That name did not sound remotely familiar. He got up and left. It was then that he accidentally bumped into a fancily dressed man on the way out of the tavern. "Watch where yer going- Swanson?"

It was his First Mate from the Maelstrom, Ichabod Swanson. He realized that this lazy, pompous oaf had been captain of the ship since Cora knocked him overboard. Seeing the frightened look on Swanson's face, he remembered the fact that his crew didn't rescue him after the incident on the Herald. Erik's voice changed to a low growl. "Swanson… You better have a good explanation for this." He flashed the knife he held in his right hand. Swanson started sweating and stammering.

"I- I forgot sir, my f-fault. You had already floated away." Seeing as the discrepancies in his excuse didn't calm Erik down, he gulped and was about to say something when the captain saw Harold, his bosun. Harold was a good friend of Erik's ever since he freed him after destroying a plantation on the other side of Nassau. After Harold killed his former master, Erik let him into the crew. "Hey cap'n!"

"Harold!" Erik smiled. "You're now First Mate! Swanson, you're back to being the bloody Quartermaster's assistant. But if you slip up one more time, I'll feed ye to the sharks. Got it?" Both said 'aye.' "Listen Harold, I need you to follow the Black Pearl to Tortuga. Do not act suspicious or anything. Until you get there, you're in command of the ship."

Now it was Harold who smiled as Swanson slunk away. "I'll do my best!" Erik nodded and went back to the tavern to have a little chat with a nice looking wench at the Dead Frog. Awful name for a tavern he thought. Harold tried to tell him something, but Erik didn't hear him as he walked away whistling.

------------------------------------

The sun had just started rising when Jack sent for all his crew to get on the Pearl and set sail. Half of them, including Fox, Marty, Leech, and Sweepy, had been found passed out at the Dead Frog. The bartender was surely a happy man with all the money he cheated them out of. Eventually, all had lined up on the main deck while Jack and Ana took a head count. All were there. "Okay mates, to Tortuga, now, do something already!" Finally all the men went to work.

Erik instantly noticed Anamaria, and tried his best to avoid her gaze. Fortunately for him, it didn't seem like she noticed as he slipped behind a couple pirates and climbed up the ropes to unfurl all the sails. Jack went into his cabin to plot a course that could escape the Royal Navy the easiest. While doing so, he also plotted what to do with the treasure, and how to obtain it. He decided it would be best to get rid of Erik Fox as soon as possible. All he needed after all was that little note.

------------------------------------

Meanwhile, aboard the Dauntless, Commodore Norrington was looking at his charts wondering where Sparrow went. An officer walked into his cabin with some papers, observations of current problems. The officer, Lieutenant Groves, said, "Mister Sparrow was last seen leaving Nassau Port. And you know that other pirate we've had problems with, Erik Fox?" James nodded. "He was seen boarding the Black Pearl with Sparrow. Two-in-One you could say. We may be able to catch them in a few weeks if we go with due haste."

"Excellent. Seems like Sparrow isn't such a great pirate after all, eh Lieutenant?" Groves frowned, remembering his comment as Jack stole the Interceptor, only to have it destroyed. "Seems like I could make up for my past mistakes when I failed to catch Sparrow last time, and also that unfortunate 'Keobuk's Rebellion' incident in Newfoundland that Admiral Wells doesn't seem to forget." He finished scrawling something on a piece of paper. "Oh, and please send this letter to Elizabeth when you get a chance, I'm busy right now."

"Aye, sir." He saluted and left the Captain's Quarters. After a few minutes, the Dauntless set sail from Port Royal, en route to stop some troublesome pirates and save the day. Basically, the usual business for Commodore Norrington.

****

------------------------------------

I hope you enjoyed this chapter too! Please R&R!


	3. Trouble at Sea

****

Disclaimer: I still don't own Pirates of the Caribbean. But I do own the original characters!

Maelstrom

**__**

------------------------

Chapter Three: Tortuga

Erik trudged on through a grassy field. It seemed to go on forever without end. The sun was hidden behind a blanket of gray clouds. When he was trying to figure out where he was, a red fox in front of him stared straight into his eyes. He thought he heard a voice in an alien language whispering into his ear. The fox still stared at him and squinted. It opened its maw and uttered the word, "Baetha…"

Suddenly he was in the sky, looking down at some village from a bird's-eye view. After realizing he was in a hawk's body, he swooped down for a closer look. The dwellings were birch-bark wigwams. Many people dressed in caribou skins were going about their daily lives, fishing by the ocean, walking from wigwam to wigwam, and getting ready to hunt. But something was wrong. The sky darkened even further. And old man looked up at Erik. "Datyurs, baetha."

He now saw a white man in a scarlet coat. The man, with blood splattered on his face grinned savagely. A mournful, cursed voice yelled in his head, "Newin, bobathoowytch! Delood, ishu bobathoowytch!" The old man's voice repeated itself in his head. The cursed one did the same. Erik tried to scream as loud as he could to chase them away. But the scream got caught in his throat. At the same time, both voices called out, "Cockaboset!"

He forced himself awake. His white shirt was damp from sweat. The creaking of boards and swaying of his cot made him realizehe was still on the Black Pearl. Erik let out a small sigh of relief as he climbed out of the cot and pulled on his boots and coat. Finding that he knew what the dream, or perhaps vision, meant, he shivered. It brought back too many unwanted memories. Fortunately for him, it was still night, which meant he could do what he was here for. "Well, sorry ol' Jack but I'm gonna need that compass more than you." Erik said to nobody in particular. After putting his black tricorn on top of his head, he walked up on deck.

Gibbs was already at the helm, drinking from the new flask he bought in Nassau. "Ah! You've already come t' take th' watch haven't ye?" he slurred drunkenly. Gibbs stumbled forward.

"Aye! Now go get yourself some sleep, look's like you need it." Gibbs nodded and walked below decks muttering cheerfully to him. Erik Fox didn't really care what exactly he was muttering about. The seas ahead were clear of any obstacles or possible threats. It was just a dark blue expanse that went out beyond the horizon. When he heard the hatch close Erik grinned his usual crazy grin as he pulled his favorite curved dagger from its scabbard. "Time to get to work."

With skill that came from years of experience, he crept nearly silently to the door that lead to the Captain's Quarters. The door was unlocked. He slowly turned it and opened the door just enough for himself to barely get through the doorway. Jack was lying in his bead, hat covering his face, snoring rather loudly. Yet after taking only two steps, Erik heard an inhuman screech coming from outside. Jack stirred. "Bloody monkey," he said quietly, still asleep. It screeched again, only louder. Jack bolted up fully alert now, pistol in hand. "What the?"

Right when he woke up, Jack Sparrow was only a bit startled and confused by the sight of a man in black brandishing a dagger only a few paces away. Erik looked just as startled as Jack. "Umm, I can explain." A third screech was heard, right behind Erik. "Monkey!" The monkey named Jack leaped through the air, flying over Erik's head as he ducked, and Jack blasted it with his trusty pistol. The monkey landed back outside on the decks and struggled to get up.

"Ha ha!" Jack looked up. Erik was charging at him as Jack had wasted the pistol's shot on the undead monkey and he couldn't really reload it when a crazy pirate was attacking him with a knife. He dodged and Erik ran into the desk. "Where's the bloody compass?" He yelled while Sparrow was on the other side of the desk. Now he was even more confused. Erik already had the map. That fact was rather obvious. But why would he need the compass too? And why wasn't the crew awake and stopping Erik? While he was distracted, the other pirate tackled him to the floor and was lowering the dagger to Jack's throat.

"Get, off!" Jack kicked him into the wall and saw what must have been the map fall out of his coat. But the monkey got it first without Erik noticing. Erik got up and started chasing the monkey while Jack pulled his own dagger out of his boot. The cursed monkey scratched Erik's face, not deeply though. But it still distracted him while Jack wrestled the map out of the monkey's grip.

"The compass!" Erik saw it lying on the desk and snatched it. Fortunately, Marty the Dwarf had just came to see what the ruckus was about. And what he saw was pure chaos. Jack the captain, Jack the monkey, Erik the apparent thief were all in a huge scuffle that was tearing apart the Captain's Quarters. "Get 'im!" Marty's cap'n ordered. The diminutive fellow rushed over as Erik stood above him. "Heh, what can a small, little guy like you do?"

"This." Marty gave him a hard kick in the shin and made Erik yowl in pain, hopping on one foot. He kicked his other shin and Erik stumbled through the glass window. As he fell, he yelled out, "Not again!" And then there was a satisfying splash. "Cap'n?" Marty asked. The monkey fled the room and then the ship. Jack stood up with a paper firmly in his grasp. "Finally, I got th' bloody map." He then collapsed onto his bed to finally get some sleep.

-----------------------

For young Cora Harper, a pirate's life was a lot tougher than she expected. It was not nearly so glorious or exciting as all the stories make it sound like. Instead of constant action, the Maelstrom just sailed the seas to wherever the captain directed and the crew had to do constant work. She was stuck, wearing a man's clothes, swabbing the decks. Up and down went the old brush. Then she'd dunk it in the bucket and continued scraping it along the deck. And the hot noonday sun was not being any kinder. Though all the crewmen knew she was a woman, she still wore a disguise for practicality, and if Erik came back to the ship. She heard he held grudges for an awful long time, and she also heard he survived the encounter on the Herald.

Bosun, no, _First Mate_ Harold walked calmly on the deck and saw her struggling. He kneeled and helped her. "You know, Miss, mebbe it wasn't such a bright idea. Coming on a pirate's ship 'n all." They both chuckled. "But seriously, I must warn you that threats are not only coming from out there," He waved his hand toward the sea. ", But even the crew may turn on ye. You'd best be careful. Here, you be swimmin' with the sharks."

She nodded. She already knew many crewmen mistrusted her. Harold and the cook, Reed, were basically the only ones who welcomed her and helped her learn the trade. She was sure she'd never make a great sea woman. But she had a hard time believing they would actually harm her as Harold was saying. He continued, "But mebbe we could get lucky in Tortuga and get rid of Swanson, eh?" She grinned and nodded. "Try not to worry, Miss Harper, nothing bad will happen as long as I'm in charge."

Harold got up and walked away. "Thank you." Cora said quietly. Harold nodded to her and went back to his job. But the words, "as long as I'm in charge" didn't make her feel any better. What would happen if Erik discovered her on the ship? Would he still be angry after the Herald Incident? What would he do to her, or Harold? She decided it would be best to stop thinking about and go back to her job too.

Less than an hour later, her fears came true. Rashid the lookout man has spotted someone in the water. "Man overboard!" Most of the crew went to the starboard side of the ship. Harold smiled and called out, "Grab the rope, cap'n!" Cora's heart stopped for a second. _That can't be good,_ she thought. The crew heaved someone onto the deck. Cora didn't bother to look; instead she pulled her wide-brimmed hat down further. She heard Harold and the captain chatting.

"Thank you, Harold. Look's like I got Sparrow's magic compass!" It truly was the one and only Captain Erik Fox. She tried her best to not attract any attention.

"Hey, cap'n, is it really magic?"

"Either _that,_ or the blasted thing's broken. It ain't pointing north. And guess what? Though he tried as hard as he could, Jack didn't get my map! See, it's still in my coat." Erik pulled it out and read it to make sure it was the map. "Oh, dear God." Erik started hitting the mast with his head.

Harold was puzzled. "What is it sir?" Erik showed him the letter.

"I accidentally picked the bloody letter up!" He sighed loudly. "Ah well, we still got the compass and it's even better. Jack will probably never catch us with that stupid map. Treasure's still ours, now get back to work!" Everyone did. Cora heard the heavy thud of his boots against the deck. He stopped for a second, and then the thudding boots approached her. Her heart rate quickened. A pair of dark brown, leather boots stopped right in front of her face. Hesitantly, Cora looked up and saw Erik Fox looking straight at her. And he smiled a wicked grin.

"I would like to see you in my quarters, Miss Harper."


End file.
